Weathered
by Iolar
Summary: Follow Ash & Eric Lynx as they make their way in life. 'We never wanted money or power or to control anyone's lives. We just wanted to be safe. That's all. I  can't say I would have done anything different even if I'd known how it would turn out though.'
1. Chapter 1

**Weathered**

Disclaimer: I do not own Banana Fish nor do I make any profit from these words.

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 1** - An Introduction

A pregnant young woman stumbled to the bar door just after closing, tears staining her cheeks. Her clothes were ragged and dirty, her feet were bare, her blonde hair was so filthy it appeared brown. She kept looking around as though expecting an attack while she banged on the door.

"We're closed!" a man called out.

"J-james!" the woman gasped out. "Please!"

The door opened. Another woman stood there, her blonde hair pulled back. "Ema?"

It took Ema a moment to place the woman before her. "Jennifer. Please, let me in. I - before _**he**_ finds me! Please!"

Jennifer took in the beaten woman's appearance and quickly escorted her inside, helping her to a seat. "Ema, what happened?" Jennifer was surprised at how broken, defeated the other woman looked. She remembered when the woman first came to Cape Cod. She'd been a proud and strong woman, unflinching in the face of the coldness and even hatred shown her by most the locals. Traits Jennifer already saw clearly in Ema's almost four year old son, Aslan. Even when Ema left, just a couple days after giving birth to Aslan, she'd seemed bored with her surroundings, not beaten by them. Jennifer didn't think much of Ema for abandoning her newborn son like that but she did think the woman unflappable. She also admitted that her husband of the last three years, James, was nearly as bad. He'd left Griffin, his eldest son, to raise Aslan in the old cabin while she and him lived alone in their own place. Griffin had once said he was surprised James didn't try to charge them for their meals when they ate in the bar.

James Callenreese came out of the back just then. "Ema." He didn't sound happy. "Why are you here?"

Ema broke down, crying harshly. It was some time before she gained enough control to answer. "I - I was traveling the world. After I left. And I met this … this man. He seemed so perfect. Like an angel." She hugged herself tightly, her gaze locked on the floor and her voice soft and broken. "Then he … I was trapped. I couldn't … There was no way out. And he …" Her hand brushed over her stomach. "I'm almost due. I can't … I don't have anywhere else to go."

Jennifer took her hand gently in her own. "You can stay here."

James looked displeased at this but only said, "Stay in the cabin with the boys."

Jennifer helped her up and led her out the door. "Do you have any bags?"

Ema shook her head no. "I have nothing."

"We still have your maternity clothes stored. I'll bring them over to you," Jennifer assured as they reached the cabin. Griffin stood in the open doorway, watching them.

"Hello Jennifer. Ema," the sixteen year old greeted. Though he wasn't happy to see the woman that abandoned his brother, he didn't show this. From the looks of things, Ema had been though enough already.

"Ema's going to stay with you and Aslan for a bit," Jennifer said.

Griffin frowned at that but said nothing as he let them inside. Aslan stood in his bedroom door, Griffin smiled when he saw the younger boy. "You're supposed to be in bed."

"I _was_, Griff," Aslan responded. "Who is that?"

Griffin didn't want to answer that, knowing the woman was unlikely to stay around long. "She's gonna stay with us awhile," he said instead.

Ema smiled down at Aslan. "Hello, little man. I'm your mommy."

Aslan looked up at her blankly for a long moment then just turned and walked back into his room, shutting the door in her face. Ema looked shocked.

Griffin said, "What did you expect? You abandoned him. The small room still has a bed in there, you can stay there until you're ready to take off again."

"Wh-what have you been telling him?" Ema questioned, looking at Griffin as though it was his fault.

"I've never said a bad word about you, Ema," Griffin said in an exasperated tone. "Aslan doesn't need someone _else_ talking bad around him. He's a smart kid, he listens and he understands what's going on around him. Don't let his age fool you."

Time passed, Aslan slowly warmed to his mother's return. Ema spent most of her time with him, letting his innocents help her heal. She marveled at his intelligence. The first time she found him reading Griffin's school books, she'd only thought him playing. Then Griffin came into the room and questioned him on what he read. Aslan answered each question easily and asked his own. Ema didn't want to admit that she was lost in Griffin's responses when it was so obvious that Aslan understood easily. While she marveled at his skill, she wouldn't admit even to herself that the boy intimated her. Aslan's fourth birthday came and Ema gave her son the first birthday present he ever received from a parent. Aslan thanked her for the coloring book and crayons, then promptly sat them aside and started reading one of the books Griffin gave him.

Soon after, Ema went into labor. The child was born in the cabin, another boy.

"Aleric," she said when she first held the boy in her arms. "Aleric Ryu Roheline." She smiled at Aslan and asked, "Would you like to hold your baby brother?"

Aslan carefully took his newborn brother in his arms and fell in love.

It took Griffin some time to get the baby back from Aslan and get Aslan to bed that night. When the boys arose the next morning, Ema was gone and Aleric remained. Aslan was brokenhearted, Griffin was unsurprised.

Though Jennifer occasionally came over to help out, the raising of the two boys was left to Griffin. James would speak to Griffin sometimes, he would call Aslan by name if their paths crossed. Aleric, he ignored completely. But the boys were happy. Though Griffin and Aslan had different mothers, only sharing a father, and Aslan and Aleric shared only a mother, the three boys looked almost alike. All three were blond haired and green eyed, all had the lithe build that made them seem almost too pretty to be boys.

Then Griffin received his draft notice, he found himself in Vietnam before Aleric's second birthday.

Griffin wrote his brothers weekly without fail. Aslan and Aleric wrote back every night, mailing the letters once a week. Once, Aslan even took Griffin's camera out of the oldest boy's room and took a picture of him and Aleric.

Griffin became close with a man named Max Glenreed, he described him to his brothers as his only friend, the only one he trusted. Max found it hard to believe the letters Griffin wrote were for such young boys, but even more unbelievable was that the letters Griffin received were written by ones so young.

Then the letters stopped. Griffin's belongings were returned, they were told Griffin died but no body was returned. Aslan refused to believe him dead. Griffin never came home and before long, circumstances forced Aslan to take Aleric and run.

Despite everything against them, the eight year old and four year old boy survived on their own in the streets of New York City. Time passed, they learned where to avoid and where they were safest.

Then some older boys and men showed up at one of their 'safe' places, taking all the young boys that were unlucky enough to be inside when they came.

Aslan and Aleric soon found themselves forced to work in a place called Club Cod, where they stayed until the owner noticed them and decided to claim them as his own.

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	2. Chapter 2

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 2** - Aleric

I look back and I wonder at what point this path was set. It's been carrying us all along for so long now, it's like we're all being pulled into this black hole. There's no way to change anything, it's out of all of our hands anymore. Maybe we'll all be destroyed in the end, or maybe we'll come out the other side into a world remade. Whatever happens, things will never be the same for any of us.

Those outside our life will likely never know any of this even took place. If they did learn of any of this, they wouldn't understand anyway. Maybe they can't without living it, and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemies. My brother Aslan and I never wanted any of it. We never wanted money or power, we never wanted people to fear us, we never wanted to control anyone else's lives. Just our own. We just wanted to be safe. That's all. Looking back on it now, I can't say I would have done anything different even if I'd known then exactly how it would turn out.

We couldn't stay in Cape Cod. Alsan made the right choice, he did the right thing shooting that fucker that raped us. The town turned against us over that, blaming us for not just letting the bastard go on until he decided to kill us too. His basement was full of bones, dead kids. The people didn't care about those kids or us or the unknown number of kids the fucker would have killed afterwards if Aslan hadn't shot him. No, they just cared about the town's reputation.

Maybe that was the event horizon. When Aslan found his father's gun and killed the bastard, it set the course for so much. But no, that just ensured we left Cape Cod. 'Papa' Dino Golzine's entrance into our life was a greater factor in this, but even that didn't set the course. We knew many boys that old perv used just like us, most didn't last long. Their bodies died in two or three years but their spirits were dead long before that. Aslan and I were different on that point. We were beaten down, weathered, barely holding together, but we did hold on. Sometimes we felt like we were holding onto life too tight, we'd feel like giving up, but we never stopped fighting. Because through it all, we had each other. That's what made us different, I think.

Then when Golzine decided to groom us for something, he brought Blanca in to train us, that was a major point in our lives.

Maybe the greatest factor was when Eiji entered our lives … but no. That wasn't it. Not really. This confrontation was already starting even then. No, the event horizon was Shorter. It wasn't obvious when it was happening, but then again it almost never is. When Aslan met Shorter, when they became friends, it changed our perspective on a lot of things. And Shorter introduced us to the people that would eventually lead such important figures as Eiji into our lives.

That was it. That was the change, the butterfly flapping it's wings that caused the tidal wave half a world away. And it all started in reform school. Bet Dino would be pissed if he knew.

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	3. Chapter 3

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 3** - Beginnings

The three black boys stepped over the sleeping forms in the hallway. The youngest boy knocked on a door. "Ash? It's Skipper." After a short pause, he added, "And my two cousins that're gonna be helping me here."

"Enter," came the emotionless command.

They entered the apartment and looked around, finally seeing Ash leaning against the wall, watching them. Ash was a young skinny white boy, they guessed between thirteen to fifteen years old, with short but wild blond hair and piercing green eyes. He wore loose fitting jeans, oversized shirt and a hoodie jacket with the sleeved rolled up to his elbows and running shoes. He looked too pretty to be a boy.

The middle boy sneered as he turned to Skipper. "_This_ is who you want us to work for, Skippy?"

"Shut up, Brian," the oldest ordered, a warning in his tone. His eyes remained locked on Ash's expressionless face and cold eyes. This boy might look harmless to others but he'd seen eyes like that before. They were the eyes of a killer. Whoever this Ash was, the kid had killed before, more than once, and he'd do it again when needed.

"I hired Skipper only," Ash finally said, his voice as cold as his eyes.

Skipper flinched but explained, "You said you won't be here much just yet and how you tell it, this guy will need someone with him all the time right? I can't be here all the time. Gotta go out for food and all at the least. Brian and Ax can help with that."

Ash thought on this a moment then finally nodded slightly in agreement. Skipper let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Ash said, "Ax at least seems to have _some_ intelligence but the other is … lacking."

Brian bristled at this but kept his silence at Ax's command. Ash continued, "I'm placing Griffin in your care, Skipper. I'm trusting you with his wellbeing, his very life. I'll trust your judgment on whose assistance you gather. Just make sure you trust them with your life. I like you, Skipper, don't give me reason to have to kill you."

"You goddamned mofo!" Brian growled.

"Brian!" Ax commanded.

"No, go ahead Brian," Ash said in a soft and dangerous voice. "You got something to say, I'm sure I wanna hear it. Go right ahead."

Brian didn't heed the danger. "You gotta lot of nerve for some wimpy little white boy! Ax runs with Black Sabbath! You don't threaten Bloody Cain's people or their families less you want to die where you stand, you fucker."

Ash smirked, and it sent a chill down Ax's back just to see. "You trying to threaten me with his boss, little Brian? How … cute."

Brian growled as he drew his gun, then screamed in pain as his gun fell to the floor and he brought his bleeding hand up to his chest. The knife Ash threw embedded itself in the wall behind him. Ash passed him a towel as he casually walked by him and pulled the blade out of the wall.

"Bad form there, Brian," Ash casually stated as he cleaned the blade and secreted it away. "You plan on drawing on someone, don't threaten first. It just gives them time to prepare. If you do threaten someone, make sure it's with something that they'd actually fear. Otherwise it's a waste of breath. You plan on taking this job, you can clean up the blood."

"You still hiring us?" Ax said in surprise.

Ash nodded. "He's foolish but I'm sure he can learn. As I said, I'll trust Skipper's judgment. If you accept this job and something happens because you didn't give it your all, I'll kill you all. I don't give a damn who you work for or whose protection you claim. Even if they do avenge you," Ash smirked, "that won't bring you back, now will it."

Ash pulled a key out of his pocket and handed it to Skipper. "Griffin's room's through there, he's sleeping. Keep the noise down as he doesn't react well to loud sounds. Luckily Brian's screaming like a little girl didn't wake him. The meds are in the drawer by his bed along with notes reminding on their usage. We've been over everything else, I'll trust you to make sure anyone else knows what to do. You can use this bed while you're staying here. You need more than that, it's up to you. There's food enough for a week or two and enough extra cash to cover the next half year in case I can't make it back for awhile. Got it?"

Skipper nodded his understanding.

"Treat Griffin with respect. Anything else, I'll repay in kind. Also, he needs those meds. If anyone decides they'd rather sell them or use them than give them to Griff, I'll skin them alive." Ash waited for Skipper to confirm his understanding, smirked as he saw Ax already had Brian cleaning up the blood, then left silently. Now that Griffin was covered, it was time to make sure the ones that so failed in his care were handled.

It was awhile before the boys noticed him gone.

888

Aleric worked through the kata, trying to ignore Dino Golzine's gaze following his every move and no longer showing the paper in his hands the slightest interest.

Gregory, one of Golzine's favorite bodyguards, entered the yard, glaring at Aleric before blanking his expression as he approached Golzine. "Papa. I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but we just heard -"

"Pay attention!"

Aleric jumped slightly at his instructor, Penser's bellow, and missed part of the conversation. "I was," he responded.

"Not to your kata, nor to your meditation. Ignore them, Eric. Do your work."

"Yes sir," Aleric responded, his expression perfectly contrite.

"Good. Start over."

Aleric restarted the kata but the moment Penser's attention drifted from him, he returned his main focus to the men on the porch.

"Shall I go over there now to secure his release?" Gregory was saying.

Golzine didn't respond immediately. He took his time to light his cigar. "That little fool," he finally said. "I _thought_ I hadn't seen him around for awhile. So that's what he's been up to."

Aleric was careful to show no reaction as Golzine turned his gaze back his direction. "Leave him there," Golzine told Gregory. "Let him learn his lesson."

"But sir," Gregory responded, "if we don't act now, he'll be sent to juvenile deten-"

"We can get him out any time we like," Golzine brushed off this concern. "If a spell in reform school is all it takes to crush him, we might as well find that out now. What I'd rather have you do for me is obtain tickets for Carnegie Hall on the 18th."

"Sir?"

"Seiji Ozawa will be conducting the New York Philharmonic. Eric will accompany me."

Gregory couldn't help but throw a fearful look the young boy's way. Ash didn't bother him. He knew Golzine had both boys trained by the assassin known as Blanca, knew both boys to have excelled at that training. But he still trusted himself against him, he understood such training. Eric was something else, something different. An unknown. Penser claimed to be instructing the boy in the 'mind arts', something Gregory didn't believe in though he'd never think to dispute Golzine's opinion. In the security of his own thoughts alone, Gregory considered Penser to be a fraud, but the boy … Eric was spooky. He made him question his own ideas on reality.

In that moment that Gregory glanced his way, Eric completed his kata and turned, meeting Gregory's eyes from across the yard. Gregory shivered.

"Relax, Gregory," Golzine said as he folded his paper. "The child is mine. He won't harm you unless you fail me."

_That boy has his own mind,_ Gregory thought, and shivered again when the boy smirked as though he knew what he was thinking. "Of course, sir. I'll see to those tickets right away."

Aleric turned back to Penser before the old man noticed his wondering attention again, silently bemoaning Blanca's decision to retire. Pretending to listen to the old man, he thought, _So Aslan got arrested. Wonder if it was before or after getting Griffin out of that place._

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review


	4. Chapter 4

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

Thanks to Angela, Pirate Ryoko for reviewing!

**Chapter 4**

Aslan stood perfectly still in the middle of the warden's office, his expression masked, waiting for the old man to return. Things hadn't gone quite to plan, it'd taken several months to locate and take out each person that so failed Griffin. But in that, he had made several contacts around town, people were starting to recognize his name. When he and Aleric left Golzine and moved into that apartment with Griffin, the respect and fear surrounding his name would be a useful protection. Though it also had drawbacks, of course. Everything did. His arrest just outlined one such drawback.

Arthur set him up. The boy didn't like the amount of power the name of Ash Lynx was beginning to wield and informed on him. The police were waiting for him when he took out the last four doctors who'd failed Griffin so terribly.

Aslan wasn't surprised. It was just a beginning, he knew. The moment he'd met Arthur, he'd known what their future held. Someday, they would stand opposite each other, they'd fight and only one would live. He'd felt this so strongly he wasn't sure why he didn't just shoot the other boy and be done with it. But he'd needed the information. Arthur was still useful then. Maybe when he got out of here.

The door opened, the warden entered, a bald Chinese boy right behind him. "Ash Lynx!" the warden called. "Over here, kid."

Aslan looked over, his gaze measuring. After a moment, he walked over, stopping a few yards away. Habit, since he didn't really expect anyone to try anything yet. The warden was obviously worried about his presence, thinking because he looked like he did that he'd be an easy target in there. Not that the man was worried about _Aslan_. No. He'd be worried that something would happen that he couldn't cover up, that would make him look bad. The Chinese boy was the man's idea of protection against that. Whether that was in expecting the Chinese boy to 'protect' him for some privilege or the like, or if the man was 'giving' Ash to this boy for his protection remained to be seen. Either way, he wouldn't try anything in here. Not that it mattered to Aslan. If and when he tried something, Aslan would be prepared to handle him. It was nothing new.

Of course, Aslan also knew Arthur had hired someone in this place to kill him. If it was the warden, or if the warden wasn't aware of such plans, then this Chinese boy could be part of that plan. Aslan's gaze swept over the other boy unnoticed, taking in everything from his understated muscles to his stance to his rather open face.

Standing behind the warden, the Chinese boy took in the sight of Ash Lynx. _Thin arms and legs, a skinny little body, and on top of his slender neck was a face so beautiful it was scary. Now I get what the warden was talkin' about, _he thought to himself. "Can I talk to you a sec?" he asked even as he led the warden out of the room and away from Ash Lynx.

Aslan watched them leave, smirking internally even as no emotion showed upon his face. It seemed the Chinese boy thought his assignment would be harder than expected. That would suggest it was a 'protection' thing since people tended to assume he couldn't fight for himself. Aslan heard them coming back, it would seem the warden either threatened the boy or sweetened the deal.

"What'd he do to get sent up anyway?" Aslan heard the other boy ask just outside the door. "He a pickpocket or something? Child prostitute?"

"Murder," the warden answered.

"Huh?"

"He did four people is what I heard," the warden finished before finally opening the door. When they reentered the room, the Chinese boy stared at Ash in shock. _Four people,_ the boy thought to himself. _That's more than me._

Ash ignored most of what the warden said just like he tended to do with Dino. After awhile, the Chinese boy stepped forward and smiled a forced smile. "Alright. You follow me, kid, I'll show you around." As they left the warden's office, he introduced, "Name's Shorter Wong. I'm supposed to look after you here so you need any help with stuff or whatever, shoot."

Aslan remained silent.

"That book all you got with you?" Shorter questioned awhile later. "You sure travel light."

Aslan merely scowled at him, saying nothing. He had nothing to say to the unknown boy but even if he was willing to talk, it wouldn't be about that book. 'Islands In the Stream'. Blanca's book. It was a sore subject even with Aleric, and they shared everything. Or maybe it was a sore subject between them _because_ they shared everything. Aslan didn't read it because he liked Hemingway, he read it trying to understand Blanca. Maybe even trying to figure out why Blanca left them. Aleric, however, liked Hemingway okay but refused to read 'Islands In the Stream' _because_ it was Blanca's favorite.

_Sheesh. Real friendly,_ Shorter thought to himself. Rather than trying to get Ash to speak, Shorter just continued walking, pointing out the different rooms and paying no more attention to his own words than Ash seemed to give them. _He's supposed to be fifteen, but he sure don't look it,_ Shorter thought, unable to get his thoughts off the silent boy walking beside him. He tried to ignore the boy like Ash was ignoring him but something about Ash Lynx drew him in despite his best efforts. _His neck and wrists are so puny you could snap them in two easily. A pretty boy and they say he did four people? No, not a pretty boy. He looks more like a beautiful boyish girl really._

If Shorter had spoken aloud those thoughts, both boys' futures would have been vastly different. For better or worse though, he said nothing aloud and Ash knew nothing of his thoughts, the future remained open to them both.

"Yo Shorter, who's that? New bed on the block?" a guy called out, breaking Shorter from his thoughts.

Another said, "Boy is he _**fine**_! Hey baby, wanna be friends?"

Ash gave no reaction to their words, showed no sign he even saw them standing there. Shorter turned to them without noticing Ash's calm non-reaction and said, "Lay off, dudes. Don't be gettin' any ideas. Leave the kid alone, you hear me?" _Easy to say, harder to enforce. Man, it's gonna be a __**long**__ two months._

"This here's the mess," Shorter said, and Aslan began paying more attention to him. He'd lived on the streets too long to ignore food. "Breakfast's at seven-thirty, lunch at noon and dinner's six. Don't ever chow down fast without lookin' cause sometimes there's roaches in the food."

Disgust crossed Shorter's face as he said this. Aslan still showed no visible reaction. He and Aleric had been on the streets alone for along time. Long enough that roaches were nothing, there were all too many things so much more disgusting that they'd learned to live with and ignore.

"Got any questions?" Shorter asked.

"Yeah. Your hair," Ash said after a moment. "Did it fall out? Or do you shave it off?"

Shorter frowned, then forced laughter into his voice as he answered, "Right now I'm growin' it out! I got three little bald spots in a fight, see, so I shaved it all off. But now I'm growin' it out. As of yesterday, actually."

Ash's face stayed masked even as he'd spoken, he showed no real interest in the answer even as it was spoken. Shorter mumbled something about showing him the cell and led the way off. _He finally opened his mouth. His voice is kinda husky, like it's just started changing. Fifteen. I still think younger. But whatever, it's pretty obvious he's tougher than he looks. He's got enough attitude…_ "Here we are," Shorter said. "You take the lower bunk. And that desk there. I'm your roommate for the next two months."

"I'm with _**you**_?" Aslan said, sounding put out at the very thought of it.

Shorter smiled a fake smile. "Yup. I told you the warden wants me to look after you."

Ash sighed softly as he sat down, dropping his gaze as he did so.

"Hey," Shorter said, looking at Ash in surprise. Ash looked up immediately at the tone. Shorter continued, "I think - Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"How would I know?" Ash sneered. "I never met _you_ before, anyway. I'd remember that marble head."

_Marble head? That's really cruel! Nobody's said anything that mean about my hair before! This kid is … He's a total brat!_

Ash ignored him as he sat on the bunk and opened his book. Though more of his attention was on the stranger only a few feet away from him than on the text, there was no way for Shorter to know this. Ash Lynx never better than to let his guard down even in familiar territory, let alone in a place like this.

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	5. Chapter 5

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 5**

Three black boys stood facing the window as Aleric climbed inside. The oldest had a gun pointed at him, the youngest held his gun loose in his hand but not aimed at anyone. The middle boy just stared with shock painted across his features. Not the slightest bit intimidated, Aleric took a moment to look them over.

"Which one of you is Skipper?" Aleric asked.

"I am," the youngest answered. He motioned to the oldest then middle boys. "This is Ax and Brian."

"Is Ash aware they're here?"

"Yeah. Who are you?" Skipper questioned. This boy looked a lot like Ash really. The same hair, eyes, facial features, build, just a few years younger. Skipper would guess he wasn't over ten and he wanted to guess younger. But something else about the boy seemed too old, ancient, making a guess of any younger feel all too wrong.

"Call me Eric."

"Lynx?"

Aleric laughed softly. He seemed more open than Ash, showed more emotion, but something told Skipper that this boy was just as dangerous, maybe even more so. "Yeah. Ash is my brother." Aleric turned to Brian. "What are you gaping at? Never seen a kid climb in a window before?"

Brian's mouth snapped shut and he glared. "We're on the twenty second floor, there's no fire escape and there's almost as many floors above us. How the hell did you get to the fucking window?"

"Take it as a lesson," Aleric said, walking passed the three boys. "Just because you're too stupid to see how to do something doesn't mean it can't be done."

Brian fumed but kept silent, remembering how badly it worked to take Ash on head on. When Aleric's back was to them and he was almost to Griffin's door, Brian pulled his gun. Aleric turned and crossed the room, took him down in such a way as to muffle the sound of the impact and pinned him to the floor, his forearm pushing into Brian's throat, cutting off his air supply before Brian could lift the gun to aim.

"Bad form there, Brian," Aleric said, unknowingly repeating Ash's words to the boy. "Don't _ever_ try that again. I'm not big on second chances, I never give a third."

Aleric stood, leaving Brian gasping for breath on the floor. He walked into Griffin's room and stood staring at the man. _So this is Griffin,_ he thought to himself, taking in the older man's features. Aleric barely remembered him, and what he did remember was from letters. A pen pal, not a brother. The man looked much like an older version of Aslan and Aleric, he supposed. Griffin had their blond hair but it looked lifeless, he had their green eyes but they were empty, he probably had their facial features but it was hard to tell with how worn the older man looked. He wasn't what Aleric expected. This Griffin was far from the super brother that Aslan described. Aleric remembered the letters Griffin wrote. They were the words of a poet, haunted by things he wouldn't tell his younger brothers but deep and full of life. That person was not here. It may be his body but Griffin was gone.

Aleric left the room, silently shutting the door behind him, leaving the shell of the man that was Griffin sitting staring blankly at the wall.

"Any problems?" Aleric softly asked of Skipper, wincing internally at how shocked and sorrowful his voice sounded.

"No one's come around," Skipper answered. "Me and Ax got it figured out how to get him to take his meds, he ain't had many attacks or nothing."

Aleric nodded to show he heard. Skipper hesitated then added, "I'm sure he'll get better."

Aleric looked up, met Skipper's eyes. "Yeah. You sound about as sure as I am." He pulled some money out of his pocket.

"We've still got enough for a few months."

"Yeah but I don't know when we'll be back. This should cover until the end of the year anyway."

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	6. Chapter 6

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 6**

Ash sat in the mess, eating without word or expression, savoring his food as only one that'd gone hungry could. Shorter Wong sat across from him, still staring at him more often than not. Like most everyone else in the room, Shorter was cursing the food as he ate. Even staring at him as he was, Shorter didn't notice the joy Ash took in the food. He did notice Ash's table manners though - manners Ash learned under Golzine's harsh tutelage and used in the most exclusive restaurants around. Manners that were most out of place in reform school.

Shorter frowned in confusion when Ash sat his drink down and didn't resume eating. Instead, Ash just sat there as though waiting for something.

An older boy thumped Ash on the back, then put his arm around Ash's shoulders. "Enjoying reform school, pretty boy? Hang with me and you'll like it even better, baby."

_Damn-it! I knew this'd happen sooner or later!_ Shorter thought. In truth he was surprised it took so long. Ash had been there a week already and besides being called some pretty rude names and the guys eyes him up in the showers like a strip show, nothing had happened. Shorter suspected that had to do with Ash's reaction. Or rather, his _lack_ of reaction to anything. Which was exactly what Ash was doing now. Besides his eyes cutting over to the older boy, Ash hadn't moved at all. It was like he was a statue, untouched by anything around him.

Shorter said, "Hey Ricardo! Leave the kid alone. He's, like, a _kid_, okay? Not to mention you're off your home turf."

"Aww, c'mon," Ricardo said, not even looking Shorter's way. He grabbed Ash's chin and turned his head to face him. Ash didn't resist, didn't speak, the only change was a slight look of annoyance on his face. "What's wrong with being friendly, huh?"

"Hey, Dick-hard-o," someone at a different table called.

Ricardo saw the muscular skinhead out of the corner of his eye and released Ash's chin as he turned his attention that way. He didn't move away from Ash though, kept a hand on his shoulder.

"Get your dirty hands offa my property, scumbag."

Though he still showed no reaction, Ash took note of this guy. He was the most likely candidate for the assassin Arthur hired to take him out. After all, he was in the same cell block, if he'd really wanted him, it seemed to Ash that he would have done something by now. When Ricardo took a threatening step towards the skinhead, and away from Ash, Ash returned to eating. Their fight didn't concern him. He'd deal with whoever was left when necessary.

"Your property, cabrón? Since when've _you_ got the rights to this bitch?" Ricardo responded.

"Since right now," the skinhead said. "So lay off and get outta here, asshole!"

"You wanna make me?"

"Both of you cut it out!" Shorter yelled.

"This's got nothin' to do with you, Wong!"

"Oh yeah it does! I'm sittin' here tryin' to eat! I can't do that with you dudes in my face! So if you're so hell bent on dukin' it out in here you can duke it out with _me_, Frankie!"

Frankie and Ricardo glared at Shorter who met their glares with his own. All eyes on them, almost no one noticed as Ash finished eating and calmly left the room.

"Alright, alright," Frankie said after a bit. "Chill out, Shorter. I ain't got no beef with you."

Shorter turned his glare on Ricardo then. "Cool. Let's _all_ chill out. That means you get your ass back to 'B' block, Ricardo!"

Ricardo glared a moment more then huffed and left. Shorter breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to his table. "Hey! Where's Ash?"

"Got up and left awhile ago," a boy answered. "Just walked out, like he got nothin' to do with it all. I mean, shit, they were only fighting over right to his _ass_."

Shorter wasn't sure what to make of that. Another boy sat down in Ash's vacated seat. "I don't know you should mess with that kid, Shorter. He gives me the creeps. I swear he's got the evil eye."

Shorter just frowned at him, unsure what he thought of Ash Lynx. Another guy laughed aloud at this, and said, "Where the hell did you get _that_ from, Nico? And what're we supposed to do about it anyway? Wear garlic?"

Nico ignored the laugher and derisive comments. "My grandma told me how when she was little, back in her village, this beautiful green-eyed woman showed up one day," Nico told Shorter. "All the men in the village went crazy over her and they started killing each other to get her. When every last man in the village was dead, there was this storm and this woman, she stood in the rain laughing. And her eyes weren't green no more. They'd turned blood red. She was the devil, see? And that kid, Ash, he's got the devil's eyes."

Shorter didn't say anything. He just finished eating then went looking for Ash. Seeing the boy sitting under a tree reading, Nico's words came back to him. _The devil's eyes, huh? I don't think so. He's just a kid. A real innocent like, even if he is supposed to've killed four people. He isn't creepy at all._ Shorter stood there awhile longer, just staring at Ash. _Yeah. Really. Nothing about the kid tell me to stay clear, to run as far the other way as I can. Not at all. That's why I'm still standing here stalker like instead of talking._ With that thought, Shorter walked over to Ash. "Man, you sure read a lot. It's like all you do all day. That's the book you had when you got here, right? 'Islands in the Stream'. So you like Hemingway, huh?"

Ash looked up, his face expressionless. As usual. "Not really."

Shorter wasn't sure what to think of that answer. But it was an answer. That's more than he got most the time he tried to talk to the kid. Before he could think of anything, Ash continued, "So what's the deal? You the big man around here?"

"Huh?" He wasn't sure what surprised him more. The question, or that Ash was willingly speaking.

"You head of the baldy brigade? That other marble head a follower of yours?"

"What? You talking about Frankie? Gimme a break! Those guys're skinheads! I just shaved my head, that's all! Completely different!"

Ash smirked a bit. "Neither the skinhead nor the dickhead tried to mess with you. You must be real strong."

Shorter sat beside Ash under the tree. "Actually, I'm not that strong. Just when I first got here, Frankie tried to make me his bitch. I sure the hell wasn't into _that_ so I was fighting him off and … well, I won. More luck than anything really."

"Luck? Bad thing to bet your life on," Ash murmured.

Shorter glanced at him when he said this, unsure what to make of the comment. Ash had sat his book aside, unlike the other times Shorter tried to talk to him when he'd been reading. Shorter said, "I still had hair then but still, I ain't exactly beauty contest material like you are. Must be pretty tough. Well, lock up a bunch of dudes together without any women, I guess it's just-"

"Uh-uh," Ash casually cut him off. "The reason those guys rape people has nothing to do with wanting to get laid. They just want to hurt people. They just want power. Somebody to step on. The weak find someone even weaker than they are and hurt them. Guess it just means I'm at the bottom of the food chain."

Shorter stared at him in silence for along while. There was something in Ash's tone, the complete lack of emotion as he spoke those words that gave Shorter pause. His instincts screamed at him to put as much space between him and Ash as possible but he just couldn't do it. In some ways, Ash reminded him of a tom cat that lived in the alley behind his family's restaurant when he was little. He'd wanted that cat so much back then, to take it to live in his room with him or even just to pet it, but his father warned him to leave it be. He'd ignored his father on that. When he'd take the garbage out, he'd always try to lure the cat to him with scraps of food. Nadia would laugh when the cat ran off as she stepped out the door behind him. She told him that cat was too wild to touch, that it would tear him up if he tried. A beauty to look at, she'd said, but meant to be free.

Looking at Ash Lynx, sitting there so calmly, so casually calling the most feared guys in the whole place 'weak' even while calling himself the 'bottom of the food chain', Shorter couldn't help but think Nadia's words just might describe Ash Lynx even better than they did that alley cat.

"Well, if you know all that, I guess I don't need to tell you this," Shorter said, looking away. "But watch your back. Both Ricardo and Frankie are after you. And if they get you, you're finished. Nobody can save you. Me included." He felt like a bastard just telling the kid that, felt even worse for what he still had to say. It was for Ash's own protection but he still felt like the lowest scum. _He isn't my responsibility. I have myself to watch out for, I don't need to be risking myself for a basic stranger. Really. I ain't abandoning him, he just ain't my responsibility. _"Here, the weak don't stand a chance and the only person who'll protect you is yourself. So make sure you don't go anyplace dark or deserted. But if you … if you have the bad luck to get caught … the less you resist, the sooner it's over. And keep as quiet as you can cause if you make a lot of noise it just eggs them on and it'll go on that much longer."

"Thanks for the advice."

Shorter's head jerked around to look at Ash again at that hard tone. Ash picked up his book and stood, was walking off as he said, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

Shorter sat there for the longest time, staring after Ash long after he was out of sight, trying to figure out what just happened. They were talking, Ash was actually responding for the first time. Then he just shut off again and left, physically left this time. All week, Ash had just continued to read, ignored Shorter, so why walk off this time? It's not like Shorter told him anything he didn't seem to know already…

Then suddenly, Shorter knew. That was it. The difference this time, the reason Ash responded to him this time was that he'd stood up for Ash in the mess. Then he shut down when Shorter basically told him he wouldn't do that again. Ash _expected_ to have to deal with that kind of shit alone. He showed no emotion, let no one close to him because he _expected that kind of treatment_. Shorter realized Ash must have gone through it all before, so many times that he expected nothing different.

Shorter had just _thought_ he'd felt like an ass as he'd spoken to Ash. It was nothing to what he felt at that realization.

888

It was a few days later that Shorter sat at the desk in the library, listening to the sounds of a storm brewing, when the door banged open, causing Shorter to jump. "Hey Shorter! Come quick!" the boy yelled from the doorway.

"Where?"

"The rec room! Frankie and Ricardo're fightin' over that kid! And Ricardo brought a bunch of guys from 'B' block with him!"

Shorter rushed to the rec room, he heard the cheers and jeers long before he entered the room, even over the now raging storm. Frankie and Ricardo were fighting in the center of the room while about five guys held Ash to one side and all the guys were cheering one of the other fighter. Ricardo was down, Frankie standing over him.

"Cut it out, both of you!" Shorter yelled over them all. Frankie and Ricardo looked his way and Shorter continued, "What the hell're you doing? I told you dudes to lay off of each other!"

"Stay outta this, Wong," Frankie spat. "We ain't gonna kill each other so what's it to you?"

Ricardo said, "Yeah. We're just getting' a little exercise here in the rec room, alright."

All the guys in the rec room groused over Shorter's intervention, and Shorter frowned, knowing he couldn't stop them. "Let the kid go!" he ordered the ones holding Ash instead. "If he's worth so much to you, how about treating him like it?"

The guys released Ash. Ash just took a single step forward to balance himself again, completely expressionless, like he couldn't care less about it all. Ash paid the fighters no attention, his gaze instead going to Shorter. Ash didn't know what to make of Shorter Wong. He stood up for Ash one moment, then said Ash was on his own, now here he was in the middle of it again. Shorter's words matched what Ash expected of people, his actions didn't match his words though. In Ash's experience, only brothers even tried to stand for each other. Shorter wasn't family so why was he doing this?

The fight ended, Ricardo was carried out by the other guys from 'B' block. Frankie turned to Ash and said, "Get your ass over here, bitch."

Ash turned his cold gaze to Frankie. "Shorter? If I fight him and win, I don't have to be his bitch?" Ash asked, wanting to confirm what he'd gathered from their earlier conversation. He knew it worked that way some places but he also knew if he'd fought back at Golzine's, the old man would just have enough men come in to take him down and it would happen anyway.

Silence fell over the room. Shorter and Frankie both stared at Ash in complete shock. "What he just say?" someone questioned after a moment, breaking the silence.

"This ought to be real good," another said. "Hey Frankie, the kid wants to throw some punches at you, man!" Then it seemed everyone was laughing and talking at once. In the middle of it all though, Frankie remained silent. Shorter still hadn't responded, Ash still stood calmly, expressionless. Someone jokingly said Ash needed a weapon, tossed a pool cue at Ash's feet.

Shorter couldn't imagine what Ash was thinking. This was suicide. Every instinct screamed for him to stop this, to not let this happen. That this would only make it worse for the kid. But looking at Ash, he couldn't tell him to step down, to just take it. He couldn't ask that of him, even if it was for his own protection. Sure, Shorter managed to beat Frankie that time, but it was mostly luck, just as he'd told Ash. Luck. _Bad thing to bet your life on,_ Shorter remembered Ash's response. So what was _Ash_ betting his life on here?

"Yeah," Shorter quietly said, and everyone fell silent again, shocked that Shorter wasn't trying to stop this. "That's how it works."

Without another word, Ash picked up the pool cue, pokerfaced.

"Alright kid, come on," Frankie said when he saw this. "I'm ready whenever you are, baby."

Ash took a step towards Frankie. For a moment, Ash's face wasn't expressionless. Anger, disgust, pure hatred shown from his eyes, and suddenly Shorter could believe this kid had done in four people like they said.

Another step, and the lights went off, lightning struck not far outside. The only thing visible in the whole room was Ash Lynx and his murderous gaze, surrounded in a halo of white light, Ash's eyes shown like fire. The lights came back on as Ash took one more step, stopping exactly halfway between the mob behind him and Frankie. He sat his stance and waited.

"What're you waiting for?" Frankie sneered after a moment. "You don't make the first move, kid, I will."

Ash made no move. Frankie started forward, Shorter saw a slight smirk touch Ash's lips as Frankie committed himself to the forward attack. Ash's grip shifted on the pool cue, Shorter suddenly realized what Ash was doing.

"STOP!" Shorter screamed. "Ash! Don't kill him!"

Ash's gaze shifted from Frankie to Shorter, his grip shifted very slightly. Frankie ran into the pool cue, unable to stop his momentum. The cue stabbed him deeply, the shaft breaking even as Ash released it. Frankie fell, clutching his chest against the pain. A heavy silence fell over the room, broken only by Frankie's coughing and moaning in pain.

Ash looked at Frankie on his knees in pain, then turned his usual expressionless mask to Shorter before just turning and walking out of the room.

"H-hey!" Frankie said, trying to push himself up from the ground. "Come back here, you little-"

"Drop it, Frankie!" Shorter ordered.

Frankie didn't seem to hear him. Finally making it to his feet, he took a stumbling step forward. "Get back here!"

Shorter grabbed his shoulder, physically stopping him. "I _said_ just drop it! You're damned lucky you're still alive!"

"What are you talking about?" Frankie demanded. "You crazy or something? That little kid-"

"Was seriously about to kill you, you fool! If he hadn't shifted it that fraction of an inch at the last second like that, the cue woulda crushed your heart like nothing! Just be glad you're alive and drop it now!"

Frankie still wasn't listening, wouldn't believe it was so close. Shorter hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him out. "You!" Shorter pointed out a couple of the guys usually with Frankie. "Get him to the infirmary. Tell them he fell on a fucking pool cue."

With that taken care of, he rushed after Ash. _Who the hell are you, Ash Lynx?_ he wondered to himself. _You don't learn that kind of shit in a day or two. What kind of special training has he gone through? He's fifteen, for God's sake! Fifteen year olds are not trained assassins!_

Finally, he caught sight of him at the door leading to the yard. Seems the storm passed. "Ash!"

Ash paused but didn't turn. Shorter walked over. "Thanks for deciding to go easy on him."

Ash laughed, the sound sending chills down Shorter's spine. "I outta thank _you_, Shorter Wong. I didn't _decide_ to go easy on him. But now I finally know how. Just deflect it slightly at the last second. Nothing to it. And it's all thanks to you."

Ash continued outside, Shorter stayed frozen by the door. Ash Lynx terrified him. It was the first time in his life he ever felt such terror. And that was with Ash not seeming to dislike him. Shorter didn't want to imagine what he'd do if Ash Lynx ever decided he was an enemy.

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	7. Chapter 7

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 7**

Time passed slowly. Ash spoke to Shorter on some occasions, ignored him on others. Everyone else was mostly giving Ash a wide berth since the fight. Nico went on and on about Ash and his blood colored eyes, calling him the devil, though he never spoke anywhere near Ash. If Ash entered a room he was in, Nico ran out. Shorter and several others tried to explain to Nico that Ash's eyes were green, not red. That his eyes only looked red during the fight because the lights went out and lightning flashed through the window behind the kid. They might have convinced Nico there wasn't anything fearful about Ash Lynx if they weren't giving Ash fearful looks through it all.

The days passed without incident, except for when Shorter came across Ash with Ricardo the day after the fight. He couldn't hear what they were saying but he saw the way Ash touched Ricardo's arm, the way he let Ricardo touch him, and even more the look in Ash's eyes. It shocked Shorter. He wasn't sure what to think about that, since Ash hadn't seemed into that type of thing. But when he glanced towards Frankie and his boys and saw none of them taking interest in Ash and Ricardo's interactions, he let it go. None of his business.

A few days later, Shorter was almost falling asleep at the desk in the library where he was working when the door opened, admitting Ash Lynx. He was the first one to enter the library in months. Shorter spoke to him for a moment before Ash disappeared into the books.

Shorter sat at his desk awhile long, but the quiet soon got to him. It was like he was the only one in there, which was fine when he _was_ the only one but since he knew Ash was there it unnerved him. Shorter wondered around until he finally found Ash, sitting atop the ladder he used in shelving books, reading by the sunlight shining through the window. Catching sight of Ash silhouetted in the window light, Shorter said, "Hey! I finally figured it out!"

Ash looked at him.

"That's _it_!" Shorter went on. "Remember how I said I thought I knew you? I just figured it out! You're on that card! You know what I mean!"

Ash looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Your brain cells fried or what?"

Shorter fell silent at this. After a short pause, he said, "Hang on a sec, okay?" He ran out of the room like his life depended on it. He kept running until he reached their cell, then he dug through his letters until he found it. The Christmas card his sister had sent him. "Sheesh! So that's what it was," he said to himself, laughing softly as he looked at the picture again. "He looks just like this angel. Of all things, Ash Lynx reminds me of an angel. What a laugh."

Walking back, Shorter knew something was wrong the moment he saw Nico and another guy standing outside the library. "What's going on, Nico?"

"Sorry Wong but I can't let you passed this point," Nico said. "Listen man, you don't wanna be involved with that kid no more, okay."

_Damnit! Who's in there? These two I can handle but what kind a trouble will I be getting into passed them? More than three or four inside there, or even one or two strong enough, and even if Ash is still fighting when I get in, I won't be able to help. It'll just make two of us down instead of one. I should walk away. Ash ain't my problem, there's no reason to risk my life for him. None. It's not like Ash expects it either. No, he expects to have to deal alone, he expects to be abandoned by someone that's starting to think of him as a friend. Shit!_

Shorter's fist was flying even before the thought completed itself. Ash Lynx was a _friend_, whether he liked it or not. And Shorter Wong did not desert friends.

888

"Kid. Let's finish what we started the other day," Frankie said.

Ash Lynx stood casually, his gaze locked on Frankie and showing no emotion still even while surrounded by over half a dozen muscular guys. "Who sent you?"

"What?"

"Let's put it this way. I _know_ who sent you, I just want you to confirm it."

"You won't be alive long enough to care, punk!" Frankie spat as he drew a knife, his guys drawing theirs at his lead.

The odds weren't good, Ash knew. Even with his training, and their obvious amateur style, there were enough of them that they might just get lucky. Especially since they were all armed and Ash had nothing. Ash and Eric had taken out twice this number before when training, professionals at that, but that was together. Everything is easier when there's someone you can trust to watch your back. - They also had the assurance that Blanca would step in if things got out of control.

Several of the men were shaking, just slightly, barely enough for even Ash to notice. But it was there. Frankie might be too stupid to realize how close to death he came last time but not all his men were so foolish. They were _scared_. And that was a better weapon than any makeshift knife. Ash smirked and half the men flinched.

"You're dead, asshole!" Frankie cried as he rushed forward, having learned nothing from their last fight. Ash laughed at him as he sidestepped the attack, kicking Frankie's wrist and sending the knife flying free.

The others moved in - but not all at once. The more wary of them hesitated just long enough that Ash could take down the first few before they joined the fight. The library door flew open and Shorter froze in awed shock as he took in the sight of Ash Lynx taking out multiple opponents with an ease that made it seem practically choreographed.

Shorter saw Frankie pushing himself up from where he must've been thrown into the bookshelf, grabbing a knife from nearby and throwing it at Ash's back. "Behind you Ash!" Shorter yelled.

Ash swiped a book off the floor as he turned. The knife embedded into the book and everything froze. Ash glared fire at Frankie who only now began to realize the dangerous creature he'd challenged. Around them, Frankie's men moaned where they'd fallen.

"Answer my question Frankie," Ash demanded. "Who ordered you to kill me?"

"Got no idea what you're talking about," Frankie said while wiping the blood from his lip.

Ash smirked. "You were watching me like a hawk from the day I got here. But there was nothing sexual about it. You didn't _want_ me, you wanted to _kill_ me. Believe me, I knew the difference. This happens to me a lot." He easily pulled the knife from the book and dropped the book while flipping the knife with casual ease. As he walked towards Frankie, he said, "I didn't give a shit for you or anyone in here. If you'd left me alone I woulda left you alone. You're even more a fool than the one you're working for, Frankie. He at least was smart enough not to take me on himself. Eye, ear or nose? Your choice."

Frankie flinched back. Shorter gasped, "Ash?"

"Okay okay! I'll talk!" Frankie cried. "It was Arthur, man! He promised me my own turf downtown when I got out. Now j-just put that down!"

Ash didn't say anything for a moment then he moved back. "Beat it," he ordered them all. Frankie shuffled back, managed to pull himself to his feet and hurried out the door. The others followed as quickly as possible. Before long, it was just Ash and Shorter in the library.

"Since when were you onto him?" Shorter asked after awhile, wondering if Ash would answer or ignore him.

"That first time he came muscling in the mess. If he really wanted to make me his bitch, why wait a whole week? But if I ended up getting a 'sugar daddy' looking out for me, that would complicate things for him."

"So that's why you were all over Ricardo later. You wanted to see Frankie's reaction," Shorter said, frowning.

"I wasn't too sure about you either," Ash admitted. "I figure if somebody's nice to you for no reason, watch out. What's up with that buddy act anyway?"

"I don't like how you work," Shorter declared. "You were just using Ricardo. Leading him on like that, for what? To sick him on Frankie and get him to do your dirty work for you?"

"Not that it's _your_ business," Ash responded. "I used him to judge Frankie's reactions. They're small time. Everyone in here is."

"You would have used him like that though? If you didn't think Frankie 'small time'."

"So? Anything wrong with that?"

"Yeah. I'd say there's something wrong with using other people as tools." Shorter took a subconscious step back at the fury that suddenly shown from Ash's eyes.

"So what?" Ash demanded. "Like he didn't want to use me as his sex toy? You think he was after me outta _love_ or something? Fuck, it's not like he ever asked me how I felt about it. None of those bastards ever do - 'cause they don't even realize I've _got feelings_! What would _you_ know about it anyway? You don't have a clue … Not a fucking clue of even half the crap I've been through…"

"Sure I do."

"Gimme a break! What the fuck would you know?"

"I know how you feel, Ash!" Shorter interrupted. "But I gotta say this to you anyway! Everyone you meet, they aren't _all_ those men that you hate so much! Don't play games with people's feelings! Don't go manipulating people like that! If you do that, you're no different from those assholes you hate!" Shorter fell silent when he noticed tears in the usually emotionless boy's eyes.

_I'm not like them! He doesn't know shit. I'm Not! And I never will be!_ "Damn you to hell, you sonofabitch!" Ash spat. "Who the hell are you to judge me? You, who can curse the food here like you can't imagine anything worse! With your big sister's 'care packages' and your 'family restaurant'! You don't know shit about survival, asshole! You have no right … _They_ do it to hurt people, to make themselves feel big! I'm just surviving! Until _you_ have to survive, don't give me shit, bastard! You may be able to get by on 'luck', some of us have to make our own! Just - just leave me the hell alone!"

Ash ran from the room, Shorter just watched him go. _Kid sure called me a lot of names there,_ Shorter thought as he slowly began straightening up the library just for something to occupy his hands while he thought. He picked up the book Ash used to stop the thrown knife, just stared at the hole for a long moment. "Surviving?" Shorter said. "Where do you learn that kind of survival?" He put the book on the shelf. It was unlikely anyone would notice the damage for a long time anyway.

888

More time passed. Word of what happened in the library that day went around fast. No one messed with Ash again. No one ignored him, either. People moved out of his way, making sure he knew they deferred to him. They greeted him by name when he entered a room, acting like they were his best friends. Overall, they annoyed Ash to no end. Only Shorter didn't change.

Ash avoided Shorter, ignoring him when he absolutely could not be avoided. Shorter continued to try to talk to him, and let it drop when Ash continued to ignore him. And Shorter continued to watch Ash, began to notice things he'd missed. Like Ash didn't just eat with immaculate table manners, he ate like he _cherished _each bite. And no matter how bad, how inedible the meal was to Shorter, Ash didn't leave so much as a single crumb behind. Shorter had originally thought Ash must come from a rich home to have those table manners. Maybe not a good home, but a rich one nonetheless. Now, he began to wonder if Ash had a home. Or if he'd always had one.

Ash never received mail. Not a single letter. Shorter wondered if maybe he didn't have anyone to write him. Shorter began to wonder what Ash's life was really like. As bad as things had gotten at times in Shorter's life, he was never alone and never without. Sure, his parents died a few years back but Nadia was an adult when they died and she took over raising Shorter. They had their parents restaurant to support them. They had enough. Maybe no more than that, but they always had enough. They were never alone either. They had each other and they had their cousins and their neighborhood. Chinatown looked after her own after all. Shorter wondered, if he didn't have all that, would he think it alright to use someone like Ash did Ricardo? Would Ash be different if he thought there was someone he could turn to for help?

As time passed, Shorter couldn't put the questions aside but the more time passed the more he believed he'd never get a chance at any answers. Then he found Ash sitting under the tree where he often read. The book was sat aside though and Ash was looking right at Shorter. Shorter took this for an invitation, or as close as he was likely to get from Ash Lynx anyway. He sat down beside him and tried to think of something to say. All his questions and now that Ash wasn't completely ignoring him, he couldn't think of a word to say.

After awhile, Ash said, "I knew it was Arthur behind it. Hell, I knew the moment I first saw that punk he'd do something like this. Even before he set me up. But I needed the info his boys were supplying."

"No way," Shorter said, surprised. "You're in here 'cause of that double dealing bastard too?" When Ash looked at him questioningly, he explained, "Arthur set me up when I was offing a couple guys that were messing with my gang. The boys got the location for the guys from some of Arthur's boys and Arthur sent the cops in as I was finishing up."

"Same thing. Cops showed up right in the middle of it, like someone sent them an invitation. Which he _had_. He's using the same MO on everybody. Cheap bastard."

Shorter grinned. "Still, I guess Arthur's instincts ain't too bad, huh? Asshole was trying to nip you in the bud, dude."

"Huh?"

"Nothin'," Shorter brushed it off, still smiling. _Arthur had it figured out alright. This kid was going to turn into a serious rival. He already had a loyal following, if he'd just accept it. And it won't be long before he realizes that either. Just a question of if he'll just use them all or if he'll support his boys when the time comes. Either way, Arthur's reign is about to be over._

"Heard you get out at the end of the month," Ash commented.

"Huh? Oh yeah, and I can't wait."

"Me either. Your snoring's been driving me nuts."

Shorter looked at him, trying to decide if he was serious or not. Unable to decide, he let the comment go without remark.

"I still don't get you," Ash said.

"What's not to get?"

"_You_. Any of it. Why you act so friendly, why you keep saying I'm on my own but keep jumping in the middle of shit that don't involve you. Why you act like you care what I do or why I do it. Any of it."

Shorter leaned back, thinking on his words. "Ash. Not everyone's out to get you, you know. Sometimes when someone acts nice it's cause they think you're okay. I told you the truth anyway. I _can't_ protect anyone else in here. I'm not that good. I guess that doesn't mean I wasn't gonna try but I admit I'm glad you _are_ that good. I can't begin to imagine how anyone gets as good as you are at that."

Ash just looked at him for a long moment in silence. Shorter felt himself squirm under the intensity of that gaze. _Think I'm okay?_ Ash questioned silently. Then Ash looked away. "The way I look," he softly stated, "I've had guys make passes at me tons of times. And all of them, it's like they can't believe it when I fight them off. And then they always get really mad. It's like, how dare I mess up their fantasy, you know. Like I'm not even a real person to them. And that's why I figured it's a lot easier on me if I take the lead. Get them wrapped around my finger and do whatever I want them to do."

Shorter stared in shock, surprised that Ash would tell him this. Surprise Ash would tell _anyone_ this, really.

"I'm just glad I wasn't born a girl," Ash added after the silence sat a moment too long. "They get it even worse so then I'd be a real slut."

"Naw, you wouldn't," Shorter brushed off the mere idea. "You'd be a lady. A real class act who wouldn't even give somebody like me the time of day."

Ash turned to him again at the slight wistfulness in his voice. "Hey don't gross me out. You saying you'd wanna ask me out if I was a girl?"

_Damn did that come out wrong!_ "I never had a thing for boys … but…" Shorter winced.

"But _what_? Now you _do_?"

"No! Really!" Looking to change the subject, Shorter remembered the card. He pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to Ash. "Hey, check this out. See how she looks like you? I kept thinking I met you before. Well, it turned out to be her."

"The Christmas card angel!" Ash said, incredulous.

Unthinking, Shorter continued, "The thing is, she's actually pretty sexy. When I was little, I used to jack-" He cut off, realizing too late what he'd been saying. Ash glared at him, but it was the wariness behind the glare that Shorter most regretted. He didn't want Ash as an enemy, he wasn't suicidal after all, but he'd began to think of Ash as a friend and he never wanted to receive that look from a friend.

Ash walked away again and Shorter didn't try to stop him. It was days before Shorter saw him again, an amazing accomplishment since they shared a cell.

It was breakfast when he finally saw him again. Shorter was glaring at the food that he still couldn't see as edible when Ash sat down next to him with a matching tray … and two apples. Ash picked up one of the apples and bit into it, then tossed the other to Shorter.

"It's not as bad as you're making it out but this way at least you'll eat something," Ash said.

Shorter thought about asking where Ash got the apples, decided against it and instead just accepted the gesture and ate the apple. The way Ash seemed to cherish food, it was a grand gesture. They ate in silence. When Ash finished eating, awhile after Shorter finished the apple since Ash ate the garbage on the tray as well, Shorter said, "Thanks."

Ash hesitated. "What are friends for," he responded, leaving before Shorter could react.

Shorter was smiling as he watched Ash disappear. _Looks like I might get the chance to figure out that enigma after all._

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	8. Chapter 8

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 8**

Shorter looked at the letter with some surprise. While he'd written to Ash weekly since Shorter's release, this was the first letter he'd received from the enigmatic boy. Ash had written to Nadia, thanking her for the care packages she'd sent with Shorter's letters. Shorter found it humorous as Nadia actually blushed at the compliments to her cooking each time she received one of this letters. That was all that was in his letters to her - just thanks and compliments on the cooking. Not one word about himself. That combined with the lack of response to Shorter's letters made Shorter wonder if perhaps the younger boy didn't know how to respond to the letters. All of which made the letter resting in his hand all the more shocking.

Nadia laughed at his shocked expression as she left the room. Her laughter pulled him from his thoughts, Shorter opened the letter.

Shorter-

We plan to visit your restaurant mid week.

- Ash.

Shorter stared at the page a long moment, as though more words would appear if he looked long enough. "Guess he's out," he said to himself, shrugging. "Wonder who 'we' is."

888

Wednesday morning, Shorter and Nadia walked down the stairs from their apartment to their restaurant much earlier than Shorter wanted to be up. But if Ash was coming, Shorter needed to talk to his boys beforehand. He wanted to introduce Ash to some of his boys but at the same time, he wasn't sure how _any_ of them would react to each other. Well, he was _almost_ sure Ash would handle himself with the cold emotionless distance Shorter had become so familiar with in reform school. He was also sure that if any of his gang tried anything, Ash would kill them. To avoid that, Shorter decided he needed to warn his boys first, make sure they didn't try anything when Ash entered Chinatown and that they stayed away from his restaurant today.

As they entered the restaurant, Shorter saw someone already sat at one of the tables. He stepped between the unknown person and his sister, pulling his gun as he moved. He stopped as he noticed the blonde hair and lithe body, the green eyes of the boy now facing them, smirking. Ash. Shorter's gun was returned to his waistband and he was stepping forward when he realized his mistake. This boy looked about five years younger than Ash. This boy's expression was more open as well.

"Who the hell are you?" Shorter demanded. "And how did you get in here?"

"You're security isn't the greatest. You are Shorter Wong?"

Shorter glared at the boy but it didn't seem to have any effect. "I'm Shorter. You gonna tell me who you are or what kid?"

"Don't call me 'kid'," the boy hissed angrily. Then, just as quickly as the anger appeared it was gone. With a smile, he said, "I'm Ash's brother. Call me Eric." Eric turned to Nadia. "You must be Nadia Wong, the angel that sent my brother those wonderful dishes."

Shorter looked around the empty restaurant, expecting Ash to suddenly be there. "Where's Ash?"

Eric didn't turn, answered as though Nadia was the one to speak. "He'll be here later. I got away early so thought I'd just hang around, if that's alright with you Miss Wong."

Nadia smiled at the charming boy. "That is fine, Eric. Do call me Nadia." Eric gave a brilliant smile to this which Nadia found herself answering. "Have you had breakfast?"

Eric shivered slightly, almost unnoticeable, as he remembered why he snuck out of the Golzine residence earlier than planned. He silently shook his head no. With an effort, Nadia managed to keep her smile from slipping as she saw the slight shiver and the darkening of the young boy's eyes. Taking what Shorter had told her about Ash, she could guess what put the pain in Eric's eyes even if she couldn't place why that would connect with breakfast. In that moment, she decided that she would do everything she could to make Ash and Eric part of their family.

"Sit down, Eric," Nadia softly stated. "I will have your breakfast in a moment."

Eric's eyes shown as he looked up at her, a small smile touching his lips once more. "Really? Thank you Nadia."

Nadia smiled at him once more before going to the kitchen. Shorter leaned against the wall not far from Eric's table, watching the boy. Eric appeared relaxed on the surface but Shorter noticed that Eric's eyes never actually left Shorter.

"How'd you get in here, Eric?"

"I told you," Eric said. "Your security here sucks."

Shorter tried to talk to Eric awhile longer but, growing tired of receiving answers that said nothing, he left when Nadia brought Eric his breakfast.

888

Silence. Shorter looked over his gang then sighed in annoyance. "What?"

"Ash Lynx?" Lao breathed. "You were in reform school with _the_ Ash Lynx?"

Shorter's second in command, Chen explained, "Ash Lynx didn't really appear until after you were picked up but he made a name for himself fast. No one knows nothing about him, he just appeared outta nowhere. Wherever he's from, he's _inhuman_. They say if he draws down on you, you're a goner for sure. He _never_ misses."

"He got outta reform school two weeks ago," Jie took over. "In that time he's taken over downtown. Completely. I heard rumors he's got a younger brother that shows up sometimes. They say that kid is just as dangerous as Ash Lynx."

"I heard he's worse. A real wildcard."

"Eric?" Shorter questioned, frowning. "He's just a kid. He can't be older than ten."

"You know _him_ too?"

"He's at the restaurant with …" Shorter drifted off. _More dangerous than Ash Lynx?_ He looked over his gang. There were about two dozen of them, all talented fighters, but Shorter wouldn't bet on them against Ash. If Eric was anywhere near his brother's talents, they wouldn't stand a chance against him if he caused any trouble. Even if they did, Shorter _really_ didn't want any trouble with Ash. But Nadia was there. He'd left his sister alone with someone all his boys were telling him was truly dangerous. He stood abruptly. "We're going to the restaurant. Keep your mouths shut, no one starts anything with either Ash or Eric. Got it?"

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	9. Chapter 9

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 9**

Shorter burst through the front doors - and stared in shock at Nadia laughing aloud as she sat at the table having tea with Eric, who was sitting calmly across from her, smirking in Shorter's direction. His gang stopped behind him. They glanced at the table then looked around, trying to see someone that looked like he fit the stories they'd heard of Eric Lynx, but no one else was in the restaurant yet. Slowly, their gazes returned to Nadia's table and the beautiful child sitting across from her.

_Is this child really Eric Lynx?_ Chen thought to himself. _This beautiful and carefree child is the cold killer everyone is talking about in awe and fear?_

Lao watched his cousin. _I've never heard Nadia laugh like that. She's so relaxed. Who is this child that can make her laugh like that? And where did Eric Lynx go, Shorter said he was here? It can't be …_

Nadia's laughter faded and she turned to see what Eric was looking at.

Shorter started to speak but found his breath taken away as Eric suddenly smiled - a full smile, his green eyes shining.

"Eric, you're early," Ash said, and Shorter jumped at the sound of his voice from right beside him when he hadn't noticed anyone else entering. The rest of his set turned in shock as he spoke, they hadn't noticed him walk through them as they'd been too busy staring at Eric.

Ash ignored all this and continued walking, stopping a foot from the table and looking down upon Eric, his face expressionless. Eric gave a slight shrug and a mischievous grin and said with a slight pout, "I got bored. So I came early to meet Nadia…"

"Bored," Ash interrupted, the lack of emotion in his voice in marked contrast to the younger. "This boredom of yours, will it bring future problems?" When Eric shook his head no Ash asked, "You sure?"

"I doubt He can get more angry than everything will be anyway," Eric responded. "Doubt anyone'll miss the fraud."

"Oh, is _that_ all," Ash said, with obvious relief. _So Pensor's dead already._ "I thought you might've gotten in trouble while I was busy. That one was going to happen anyway." This was said in such a nonchalant tone that it took a moment for Shorter's gang to realize what was being said. When they did figure it out, they each silently agreed that everything they'd heard about the Lynx brothers was true.

Ash turned to Nadia with a smile. "You must be Nadia Wong. I'm Ash. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Miss Wong."

"Please call me Nadia. Would you care for some breakfast, Ash?"

"Only a fool would turn down your cuisine, Nadia," Ash responded.

Nadia blushed as she stood. Ash stepped back and to the side to allow her passage while not moving any closer to the boys still standing near the door.

"You know," Shorter said as he finally stepped out of the doorway, motioning his boys to take seats, "she blushes every time you complement her cooking. Never seen her blush before that."

Ash casually moved so he remained between Eric and the other boys, so casually that of Shorter's gang, Shorter was the only one to realize it was purposefully done. The only reason Shorter caught it was he'd watched Ash so much in reform school that he'd slowly began to pick up on the reasoning behind some of Ash's actions. The protectiveness this action showed was a side of Ash Shorter hadn't seen yet, one he was glad to see. Shorter did wonder what kind of trouble Eric tended to get into when 'bored' if killing a guy was so easily brush off as nothing in comparison. Shorter thought back over everything he'd seen of the Lynx brothers. He remembered when he first saw Eric this morning, he'd thought him more open than Ash, yet watching the two brothers talk, he'd felt he was looking different views of the same mask. Ash hid himself behind an emotionless mask, Eric's mask was a carefree innocence yet both seemed to cover the same pains. Shorter saw it in Ash the night of the fight, when he first saw the boy cry, and the days after that when they spoke alone. He saw it in Eric only for a second, in the pain in his eyes that was quickly masked that morning and in the dark satisfaction in his voice when he told Ash he killed that person. As different as they seemed, the Lynx brothers were very much alike. Both were enigmas.

"Perhaps you should compliment her more often then."

"Huh?" Shorter looked up in confusion at Ash's words before it occurred to him that they were in response to his last statement. He shrugged the comment off. "She's my _sister_."

Ash just looked at him for a long moment. "If she was gone tomorrow, is that what you would regret? That you complimented her too often?"

Shorter wasn't sure how to respond to that. Thankfully, Nadia returned from the kitchen with Ash's breakfast just then. As Ash spoke to Nadia, Shorter's attention turned to Eric, who seemed to be dozing off in the booth seat behind Ash. _Huh. Maybe he's not so much like Ash after all,_ Shorter thought to himself.

Ash was eating now, Nadia told Shorter and his boys they could carry their own plates from the kitchen, as usual. Shorter murmured a thanks. When Nadia looked shocked, Shorter couldn't help but feel guilty for taking her for granted. _If she was gone tomorrow…_ Shorter had thought about things like that before. Since losing his parents, he couldn't help but think it sometimes. What he would do, how he'd react, what kind a person he might be if she hadn't been there, he'd thought about those things a lot. But he'd never, not ever thought about her _not being there_. All his what ifs were just that to him, what ifs, worst case scenarios, those things that never really happen. The way Ash said it though…

_If she was gone tomorrow, is that what you would regret?_ The way Ash said that, it made the possibility all too real. It wasn't what could have been but rather what all too easily could be. As much as he didn't want to even think about such a thing, he knew he'd rather think that now than regret it later. He promised himself he would change, from this moment on Nadia would know how much she means to him. He would not live with that regret.

Nadia turned to Eric and smiled. As she stepped closer to him, Shorter noticed Ash's eyes followed her every move. "Eric," she said. The almost asleep boy murmured something unintelligible. "Eric," she tried again. "That can't be comfortable. If you are this tired, you can use my bed upstairs."

Eric barely opened his eyes to look at her, shook his head no. "Ash is here. It's safe to sleep where Ash is."

"He's okay, Nadia," Ash said, drawing her attention away from the sleeping boy. "I doubt he had the chance to sleep any last night."

_So it wasn't that he's comfortable enough with us to sleep like this,_ Shorter thought, reevaluating what he'd seen. _He is as wary as Ash is, he just trusts Ash that much. I think I'll enjoy getting to know them both. Maybe it's dangerous to try to get close to anyone as mysterious and unpredictable and deadly as they've shown themselves to be but something tells me it'll be worth it. Eric is confusing, much like Ash seemed those first days. Ash is … well, he's still confusing. But standing beside him is like standing in the presence of greatness. I don't know what path he'll make for himself… He controls downtown now. I don't know if he'll protect his boys or just use them like Ricardo but … Maybe nothing I say will make a difference with him but he __**did**__ seem to really be listening when I talked about your gang being your brothers and a bosses job being to protect that family. We'll see. _

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	10. Chapter 10

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 10**

Shorter led his boys into the boarded up and condemned building, wondering to himself if this was actually Ash's gang's place or if they were just using it for this meeting. While he'd spent a lot of time with both Ash and Eric these passed months, they usually met at the Chang Da since Nadia apparently decided it was her job to mother the two most dangerous people Shorter ever met, something Shorter was surprised the boys allowed.

"Shorter," Skipper, a young black boy and Ash's second in command greeted at they entered. That had been another surprise to Shorter. For the longest time, he'd thought Eric was Ash's second. But no, the Lynx brothers wouldn't do something as common as that. Instead, they were both bosses, each with their own gang yet in the same territory. The two gangs worked together on many occasions but still not as often as Shorter had expected when he first heard of it. The biggest distinction between the two sets seemed to be age. Ash's was the basic thirteen to nineteen year olds, while Eric's boys were as young as eight but no older than fifteen. Both sets were mixed nationalities, yet another thing no one did.

"Hey Skipper," Shorter returned the greeting. "Where's Ash?"

"In the back talking to a surprise visitor." Skipper shook his head. "Well, surprise to anyone that ain't a Lynx anyway."

Shorter nodded and leaned against the wall to wait, his boys gathered around him. After awhile, Ash entered the room with rough looking older teen. "Hey Shorter," Ash greeted after motioning for the other teen to sit with two others Shorter didn't recognize but quickly deduced must have come with this 'visitor'. None of the three looked at all comfortable sitting in the middle of the room with Ash's boys, Eric's boys, and now Shorter's boy surrounding them.

"Hey Ash," Shorter returned. "Who're they?"

"That's Smasher and a couple of his boys. He came to assure me that he had nothing to do with the bodies being dumped in our backyards, even though almost all of them disappeared off his turf."

"You don't believe him?" Shorter questioned, hearing something in Ash's tone but not quite believing Smasher would be looking this comfortable if Ash really doubted him.

Ash didn't respond immediately. "It's not him or his boys," he finally said. "But he _knows_. It's not fear that's been making him look the other way instead of watching his own turf. He only showed up today 'cause of those two bodies dumped on my streets. He's afraid of me."

Chen looked up at this. "The other bodies were in Chinatown. You saying the fool ain't afraid of us?"

Ash just looked at Chen and Chen suddenly wished he hadn't said anything to draw Ash's attention to himself. Shorter said, "Whether he's smart enough to fear us or not, Chen, he would've assumed we'd have to get through Ash's turf to do anything. Bet that's why he looked ready to piss himself when he saw us here. So who do you think it is, Ash?"

Ash shrugged. "He's playing dumb so I'm _letting_ him set in on this. He'll give himself away before the night's over." Ash said nothing more, just leaned back and waited. A short time later, he frowned and turned towards the door just as Eric entered with other boy in his mid teens. Ash focused on this other boy. "Aiden?"

Before Aiden could speak, Eric said, "His cousin was the latest victim. His father sent him to us."

Ash nodded. Ash and Eric had worked with Aiden a few times since taking downtown, mostly trading favors. It was the last time they'd worked with him, the last time they'd seen him, that they'd learned Aiden was the son of the head of the Irish Mafia. Ash wasn't particularly happy to learn this but … Aiden had never lied about it. He just hadn't volunteered the information. It was clear from the reactions around the room that no one else was aware of who Aiden is.

"We're taking the fucker down," Ash stated, matter-of-fact. "You can tag along if you want."

Aiden gave a slight bow. "My da wants him arrested." Though it didn't show, Ash was surprised at this, but Aiden continued, "We want him in jail with my cousin's da. He has the right to his own vengeance."

Ash and Eric shared a look. Then Ash said, "You'll owe us. Your _whole family_ will owe us big. And the backup plan is a bullet through the brain."

"Agreed."

"What do you know of the cops working the case?"

"Head's a new detective, Charles Dickinson. Not much is known about him yet," Aiden responded.

"Charlie?" Shorter said, surprised. Ash, Eric, and Aiden turned to him. "He's a detective now? I never woulda thought it. He's too … well, too nice for a cop."

"Well Shorter," Eric said. "What can you tell us about the 'nice' cop Charlie?"

As they listened to Shorter talk, the Lynx brothers silently began to formulate a plan.

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


	11. Chapter 11

NOTE - "/Speech bracketed like this signifies Japanese./"

**Chapter 11**

"Who is he to you?" Eric's softly spoken question cut through the silence that had fallen once Shorter finished speaking.

"Huh?" Shorter said, before noticing Eric's gaze was locked firmly upon Smasher.

"He's not one of your boys," Eric continued. "He's not a brother, not family. You're not afraid of him. Yet you just looked the other way, letting him piss in your backyard until he dumped them somewhere you _do fear_. Even now, you just come to tell us the obvious, you ain't telling us what you know. So who is he, Smasher? What is he to you that you'd be so stupid as to come here with half truths?"

Eric stalked around Smasher, who nervously moved to keep Eric in sight while stammering denials. Shorter turned to Ash, noticed both him and that boy he'd called Aiden were smirking as they watched Eric. Speaking quietly so not to interrupt Eric, Shorter asked, "What's he doing?"

"Just watch," Ash responded, just as softly.

"You don't feel loyal to the ass," Eric continued. "Why protect him? What's his use to you?"

Shorter kept his silence and watched. As he watched, he began to see why so many said Eric may be more dangerous than Ash. It wasn't his words or his voice, though the softly spoken tone did send a chill down the back. Both the Lynx boys did that. It wasn't his actions were more threatening either, both moved with a graceful danger befitting their name. Both seemed to just know things too, like they could look through you and see everything you thought hidden about yourself. Eric might do that a bit more, or maybe just more obviously. But the main difference was the direction they attacked from. - Ash tended to use charm, to the point of projecting a sexuality that made his enemies _want_ to do what he wanted. Eric projected fear into his enemies, making them afraid to do anything but what he wanted. It didn't make Eric anymore dangerous than Ash, they were both deadly.

Then Eric was finished. The boy turned from the corner where Smasher cowered and _skipped _over to the table and dropped into the seat beside Ash, looking as innocent and open as any child ever could.

"This'll be fun," Eric said, smiling joyously. He looked up at Ash. "He ain't afraid of the fucker. He's kinda worried about the fucker's family connections. Not that they're anyone, but the fucker's brother works for Dino. He's a _Garvey_."

Ash's eyes shown with a dark joy. Bill Garvey was the one that captured and presented them to Dino Golzine like a prize, though only _after_ the bastard raped them both himself. There was no one the Lynx boys hated more than Bill Garvey and now they had the prefect chance to strike at him. They'd learned Bill Garvey had one brother, his older brother that raised him and he looked up to like no other. They'd known this brother was not under the protection of the Union Corse, but until now they hadn't known this brother had the same perversities.

"You take high ground, mon frere," Ash said. "I'll convince this 'nice cop Charlie' that he recruited me for bait."

Eric turned to Aiden. "Vintorez."

Aiden looked at him in confusion for a moment before understanding dawned. "Armalite."

"Vintorez is better."

"Armalite has an effective range of 460 meters, that's further than the Vintorez."

"On paper anyway."

Aiden shook his head. "You and Ash both have a strange interest in Russian armament. We actually _have_ the Armalite. It'd take time to get a Vintorez."

Ash said something to Eric no one else could understand, causing the younger boy to glare at his brother.

"The Armalite will do," Eric said.

Aiden nodded. "I'll have it within the hour."

"Uh," Shorter said as Aiden left. "What was that about?"

"Just ordering a sniper rifle," Ash responded matter-of-fact. "You didn't think backup could be right there when we're playing with cops, did you?"

Shorter shrugged. "But who …" He drifted off as Ash and Eric gave him identical smirks. "Eric?"

"Of course. Wouldn't let anyone else aim a gun so close to my brother," Eric stated.

Ash said, "We shouldn't have any problems, with it being him. Just sweep the streets, keep everyone else off those blocks while we run it. Our boys will follow you for that, Shorter." Around them, Ash and Eric's boys nodded in understanding of the order. "Skip?"

"I'm good. Ax has it covered," Skipper responded, keeping his words carefully obscure since no one else knew of Griffin's existence.

"Good. They're yours, Shorter." Ash turned to Eric. "Street kid? Concerned citizen?"

Eric didn't respond right away. There were problems with either cover when it came to approaching the police. "The Deneke identity is clean."

Brian Deneke was the identity Eric had used to research a homeless shelter that had opened in their streets, checking if the place was sincere or if it was a front. The people had checked out, and 'Brian Deneke' spent enough time there that they would confirm the address to any police checks. Even though it was Eric they knew, the boys looked so much alike that anyone describing them would believe they were speaking of the same boy.

The shelter was also close enough to the edge of their territory that Deneke could easily know the victims and have reason to involve himself. As a fourteen year old (since Eric aged himself for the part) blond haired green eyed boy, he matched the victim profile so his reasoning could be self protection as well.

"You willing to give him up?" Ash questioned.

"If necessary," Eric said. "We learned what we needed."

Without another word, Ash headed out. Eric leaned back, watching Shorter set up patrols, making a few quiet suggestions while he waited for Aiden to return with the rifle.

888

Continued - Let me know what you think. Review.


End file.
